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Glite Dictionary
Vinca minor

Vinca minor

7.8
A low plant with dark green shiny leaves and small blue-violet flowers that covers the ground
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : vinca menor
  • The blue-violet flowers of Vinca minor add color to early spring landscapes.

Examples

  • Vinca minor spreads quickly to create a lush carpet of green in shady gardens.

  • Many gardeners choose Vinca minor for its low maintenance and attractive foliage.

  • Look at this Vinca minor!

  • The Vinca minor is beautiful.

  • Vinca minor is often used as a groundcover because it thrives in shady areas.

  • Gardeners appreciate Vinca minor for its vibrant blue-violet flowers and ability to spread.

  • In spring gardens, Vinca minor provides a beautiful display with its glossy leaves and colorful blooms.

Synonyms

periwinkle
vsVinca minor
1 8.1

A plant that grows close to the ground with blue or purple flowers and is sometimes poisonous

is a single species with dark green shiny leaves and blue violet flowers

Surface Forms

Vinca minor singular
Vinca minors plural

Morphology

Vinca + minor

This is a Latin binomial: a learner who knows 'Vinca' is a plant genus and reads 'minor' as 'smaller/lesser' can infer it denotes a type or smaller variety of Vinca (i.e. a plant) rather than a literal phrase. However, the specific identification as 'common periwinkle' and the convention of Latin species epithets are not fully predictable for an average B1 learner, and the English sense of 'minor' ('not important') could mislead, so the meaning is only partially recoverable.

Etymology

Vinca minor comes from Latin. One popular story says Vinca comes from a word meaning 'to bind' because its long, flexible stems were used for tying or making wreaths, and minor means 'smaller', so the name points to the smaller periwinkle and its thin, binding stems.